From 6pm to 6am on Wednesdays and Thursdays (and sometimes later on the weekends), this nocturnal hotspot serves up home-style, Indonesian food to shift workers, students, emergency service staff or anyone craving a hearty meal in the wee hours of the night. The food is fast, it’s fresh and the comforting flavours have resonated with Canberrans, near and far.
Evi Young, a cook born in South Sumatra, runs Kita with her husband Gavin and their 22-year-old son Zachary. The cafe is a collective expression of Evi’s Indonesian flair, Gavin’s lived experiences as a shift worker and Zac’s passion for hospitality, and this is reflected in the name, Kita, which means “us” or “we” in Bahasa Indonesia.
“Kita is a family,” Evi says. “Whether you're a customer or whether you work with us, it's family-based and it's all about community and support.”
When the Youngs opened the cafe in 2018, they not only wanted to change perceptions of Canberra’s night scene but create a space for customers to enjoy comforting, home-cooked meals around the clock.
The family behind Kita. Source: Kita
“Even though our food is Indonesian-inspired, it’s not necessarily authentic,” Evi says. “Every region in Indonesia has its own specialty, has its own dish and has its own way of making it, but we’ve slightly twisted and westernised it.”
Kita’s beef rendang burger and pandan waffles are prime examples and feature on the menu alongside Indonesian staples like gado gado, nasi goreng and . The cafe is also known for its rotating list of weekly curry specials that highlight both traditional and lesser-known versions from different regions of Indonesia.
“Indonesian food is a combination of complex spices and ingredients, with home-style cooking,” Zac explains. “It's hearty, it's delicious and it's of good and fresh quality ingredients. We aim to do things as if we were cooking at home for our families, and I think Canberra can see that.”
On Kita's menu: nasi goreng. Source: Kita
Evi is proud to bring nostalgic meals from her childhood to the table and makes all the curry pastes, sambals and syrups from scratch using recipes passed on from her family (who also happen to own the 30-year-old Canberra institution, ).
Every region in Indonesia has its own specialty, has its own dish and has its own way of making it, but we’ve slightly twisted and westernised it.
“My mum used to make for me when I was a child – and still does,” he says. “It reminds me of the we used to eat at in Bali. The nostalgic feeling I get when I eat it now brings me back to my childhood and reminds me of when and why I fell in love with food.”
This longing for a home-cooked meal resonates with the Canberra community, particularly people from Europe or Asia who eat dinner later in the night.
Zac has a strong connection to the soto ayam dish. Source: Kita
“We do tend to have a little bit more of an ethnic customer base,” Evi says. “That's what they've missed and it’s bringing them back home.”
The Young family are proud to provide a taste of Indonesian cuisine to their diverse diners and are happy to see that cultural awareness and appreciation is growing for all types of food.
“It's a massive privilege to showcase our culture in Canberra and it's a bonus that it's through food,” Zac says. “Not only are we proving that an overnight cafe can be done in this city, but that Indonesian food is something to be taken seriously.”
"We're just getting started," he says. “There will be more stories to be told through our flavours and experiences to be had for people willing to give our culture a go."
Wed - Thur 6pm - 6am, Fri 6pm – Sat noon, Sat 6 pm – Sun noon
A taste of Indonesia
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